macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install mdformatlocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install mdformat with Homebrew, apt, Nix, pacman
CommonMark compliant Markdown formatter. Version 1.0.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install mdformatDebian stable package indexes · mdformat · source: deb.debian.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#mdformatnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/md/mdformat/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S mdformatArch Linux sync databases · mdformat · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
overview
Package summary
CommonMark compliant Markdown formatter
Project links
Commands and aliases
- mdformat
history
Project history and usage
mdformat is an opinionated CommonMark-compliant Markdown formatter available as both a Unix-style command-line tool and a Python library. It formats Markdown documents in place, checks formatting in CI, and exposes plugin hooks for parser extensions and code-block formatting.
Project history
The project was published to PyPI in July 2020 as version 0.1.0 and is developed in the hukkin/mdformat GitHub repository. Its README describes the core pitch as enforcing a consistent Markdown style while preserving CommonMark-rendered output.
The changelog shows steady maturation of the 0.7 series: configuration in `.mdformat.toml` arrived in 0.7.10, plugin interfaces evolved in 0.7.19, and version 1.0.0 later removed older Python support, added markdown-it-py v4 support, and added CommonMark 0.31.2 support.
Adoption history
mdformat's adoption is tied to Python packaging and automated formatting workflows. Its official docs show installation with pipx, Python API use, and use as a pre-commit hook by referencing the GitHub repository and pinning a revision.
The plugin docs document a broader ecosystem of mdformat-* packages for GitHub Flavored Markdown, MyST, front matter, table-of-contents generation, code-block formatting with Black, shfmt, gofmt, rustfmt, and related tools. The input facts list availability in Homebrew, Debian, Nix, and Arch-style packaging.
How it is used
Common CLI usage is `mdformat README.md CHANGELOG.md`, `mdformat .` for recursive formatting, `mdformat -` for standard input, and `mdformat --check` in CI. The tool also exposes a Python API through `mdformat.text()` and `mdformat.file()`.
Configuration is resolved from a TOML file named `.mdformat.toml`, searched upward from the formatted file or from the current working directory for standard input. Command-line arguments take precedence over configuration values.
Why package nerds care
mdformat is a useful package-history marker for the shift from Markdown rendering tools to Markdown style enforcement. It fills a similar cultural role for Markdown that Black filled for Python: fewer formatting arguments, more reproducible diffs.
Its plugin model matters to packagers because optional behavior is split across separately distributed Python packages. That keeps the core package small but makes environment composition important for users who need GFM, MyST, front matter, or code-block formatters.
Timeline
- 2020: Version 0.1.0 published to PyPI.
- 2021: Version 0.7.10 added `.mdformat.toml` configuration.
- 2025: Version 1.0.0 published with Python support and CommonMark updates.
- 2026: Homebrew formula tracked stable version 1.0.0.
Related projects
- The README explicitly compares mdformat with Prettier for Markdown formatting and discusses CommonMark-focused behavior.
- The plugin ecosystem includes mdformat-gfm, mdformat-black, mdformat-toc, mdformat-myst, mdformat-frontmatter, and other official-doc-listed extensions.
Sources
- https://github.com/hukkin/mdformat#readme
- https://mdformat.readthedocs.io/en/stable/users/changelog.html
- https://mdformat.readthedocs.io/en/stable/users/configuration_file.html
- https://mdformat.readthedocs.io/en/stable/users/installation_and_usage.html
- https://mdformat.readthedocs.io/en/stable/users/plugins.html
- https://pypi.org/project/mdformat/
- source_facts.package-manager
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 1 platform targets.
- Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
.mdformat.toml
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
mdformat | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version1.0.0
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://mdformat.readthedocs.io/en/stable/
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://mdformat.readthedocs.io/en/stable/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:mdformat |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.0.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/mdformat |
| Homepage | https://mdformat.readthedocs.io/en/stable/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/hukkin/mdformat |
| Upstream docs | https://mdformat.readthedocs.io/en/stable |
| License | MIT |
| Source archive | https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/3f/05/32b5e14b192b0a8a309f32232c580aefedd9d06017cb8fe8fce34bec654c/mdformat-1.0.0.tar.gz |
| Dependencies | python@3.14 |
| Bottle | available (on all) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | mdformat |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
mdformat 0.7.22-1
CommonMark compliant Markdown formatter
sudo apt install mdformat- Section: python
- Architecture: all
- 5 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mdformat
Nix95%
mdformat
nix profile install nixpkgs#mdformat- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mdformat
pacman95%
mdformat 1.0.0-2
CommonMark compliant Markdown formatter
https://github.com/hukkin/mdformat
sudo pacman -S mdformat- License: MIT
- Architecture: any
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Mdformat
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment